Broiled Salmon with Zucchini Pasta

Spiralizing zucchini is one of my new favorite things. It's such a healthy, low-carb yet delicious option for a side dish or even main course.

Spiralize the zucchini. Then mix it with some salt and set it aside in a bowl. This will extract moisture. After 20 minutes or so, rinse to get the salt out and wrap the zucchini in a dish towel gently squeezing to dry. Sauté diced shallots and minced garlic in a little olive oil. Add the zucchini, fresh tomatoes, olives and chopped basil. Season with salt, pepper and fresh lemon juice. Then mix in some pesto. Let the mixture cook through a little (but not too much because the zucchini noodles are kind of gross if they're over cooked) and serve with a little fresh parmesan cheese.

The salmon pictured here is simply rubbed with fresh herbs and a little olive oil then broiled to perfection. This is a super delicious low-carb meal. One of my personal favorites.

Ingredients:

• 2 large zucchini

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 2 tablespoons diced shallots

• 1 tablespoon minced garlic

• 3 Roma tomatoes chopped into bit sized pieces

• 1/2 cup of pitted Kalamata olives cut in half

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

• Juice from half a lemon

• 1/4 cup pesto

• Salt & Pepper to taste

• Grated parmesan cheese

Coconut Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

Oh no you did not! Well, actually, I did. This - not low fat, not low carb - delectable cake was a big hit at my little dinner party.

Ingredients

The recipe is slightly modified from Sally’s Baking Addiction’s Lemon Coconut Cake. The following recipe is for a three-layer cake, whereas I made a 2-layer cake (as seen in pictures above).

The Cake:

• 3 cups of sifted cake flour (I use King Arthur cake flour)

• 1 Tablespoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 cup canned coconut milk, room temperature

• 1/2 cup buttermilk, room temperature

• 1 1/2 cup (3 sticks unsalted butter), softened to room temperature

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

• 5 large eggs, room temperature

• 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract

• 6 ounces sweetened shredded coconut

The Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 8 ounces brick style cream cheese, softened to room temperature

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

• 3 cups confectioners’ sugar

• 2 Tablespoons coconut milk or heavy cream

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• pinch salt

• topping: sweetened shredded coconut and fresh mint for garnish

How To Make It

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray or lightly butter three 9-inch cake pans. Set aside.

2. Make the cake: Whisk the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside. Combine the coconut milk and buttermilk together in a small bowl or liquid measuring cup. Set aside.

3. With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on high speed in a large bowl until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the granulated and brown sugars and beat on high speed for 3-4 minutes until creamed. With the mixer running on low speed, add the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla extract. Beat on medium-high speed until combined.

4. With the mixer running on low speed, add the dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with the milk mixture and mixing each addition just until incorporated. Do not overmix. Use a whisk to rid any large lumps, if needed. The batter will be slightly thick. Finally, fold in the coconut. The batter will be lumpy once coconut is added.

5. Pour batter evenly into each cake pan. Bake for around 22-25 minutes or until the cakes are baked through. Remember to rotate the pans halfway through baking to ensure even baking. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, it is done. Allow cakes to cool completely in the pans set on a wire rack.

6. Make the frosting: In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add confectioners’ sugar, 1 Tablespoon coconut milk/cream, vanilla extract, and salt with the mixer running on low. Increase to high speed and beat for 3 minutes.

7. Assemble and frost: First, using a large serrated knife, slice a thin layer off the tops of the cakes to create a flat surface. Place 1 cake layer on your cake stand or serving plate. Evenly cover the top with a thin layer of frosting. Top with 2nd layer and evenly cover the top with a thin layer of frosting. Finish with the third cake layer and spread the remaining frosting all over the top and sides. Garnish the top with coconut and fresh mint leaves. Refrigerate for at least 45 minutes before cutting or else the cake may fall apart as you cut.

Oakland Dust Steak Rubbed BBQ Pork Spare Ribs – Indoor Style!

So delicious oven BBQ'd pork spare ribs covered generously in Oakland Dust Steak Rub is our new favorite meal. I realize BBQ purists may scoff at the idea of using the oven to create a BBQ style rib, but some of us city folk – without an outdoor option – have to resort to other measures to get our BBQ rib fix. My boyfriend wants this dish on a weekly basis. Totally fine with me. :) It's so simple, incredibly delicious and low-carb!

How to Make It:

Heat oven to 300 (f). Pull aluminum foil to twice the length of a cookie sheet. Generously season a slab of pork spare ribs with Oakland Dust Steak Rub all over. Lay ribs on the bottom half of the aluminum foil meat side up. Wrap the top layer of aluminum foil over the ribs and seal the top and bottom sheets tightly together all around the ribs. Bake for 2.5 hours. Remove the top layer of aluminum foil and brush ribs lightly with BBQ sauce. Continue baking for 20 minutes. Done and done! I serve this with cob corn grilled on a stove grill pan and traditional slaw for the full BBQ meal effect.

P.S. Last time I made this recipe I ran out of the Oakland Dust Steak Rub and used an alternative rub. My boyfriend was so disappointed and we both agreed that while the ribs where still quite good, they were a distant second to the Oakland Dust Steak Rub version. Thanks for such a delicious product, Oakland Dust!

Wall Herb Garden Project Showing Signs of Life

We have some exciting progress on our Wall Herb Garden Project. There are signs of life in Chives, Oregano, Thyme, Sage and particularly Basil! Oh yeah! I'm a little concerned about no signs in Rosemary and Parsley. Might need to re-do those. And Cilantro was planted late, so we have yet to see how that will go. Can't wait to see what the next couple of weeks brings! I got these awesome Ball jars in a set of six from Sur la Table. Check them out!